Supporting the Circular Economy in Northern Ireland

Steer Economic Development was commissioned by the Department for the Economy (DfE) to examine existing circular economy initiatives across the globe within the built environment and manufacturing that could be applied with the context of Northern Ireland’s economy.

How we helped

Steer embarked on a systematic process of collating a longlist of projects worldwide, narrowing down to five initiatives that aligned with Ireland's economic context. This rigorous approach led to the identification of diverse case studies, ranging from waste and resource management strategies in London, to innovative practices in Wales, Denmark, and France. 

Each case study brought a unique perspective to the table - from academic knowledge brokering and award-winning sustainable housing designs to innovative monetization of waste and policy instruments for a circular economy. 

The five shortlisted case studies were:

• A scheme based on improving waste and resource management in London, aiming to revolutionize the relationship with waste and encourage reduction, reuse, repair, sharing and recycling.
• A business support programme in Wales benefitting manufacturing SMEs by brokering academic knowledge from universities, with potential for replicating the model in similar economies like that of Ireland.
• A Danish social housing development project using recycled materials for construction with the potential for disassembly and reuse. The learning from this trailblazing project has since been brought across to London, indicating its applicability across economies.
• A French scheme to monetize waste from the agricultural sector, including turning biomethane into plastics – a project with significant potential in other agrarian economies such as Ireland.
• The unintended impacts of France's anti-waste law involving regulations and incentives to promote a circular economy, which has resulted in waste dumping across the border in Spain. This was used to highlight the need for careful consideration of circular economy schemes and law in areas with shared borders – such as Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Key outcomes

Our report was used in support of the DfE’s Circular Economy Strategy for Northern Ireland, a key enabler of their 10X Economic Vision.

In particular, the DfE wanted to understand how initiatives could favour small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as these companies make up a significant proportion of the Northern Irish economy. 

Steer's work has illuminated the possibilities inherent in the circular economy, demonstrating that sustainability can be more than a "nice to have" – it can form the very fabric of a successful business model. 

You may also be interested in…

As part of our growing studies in regional net zero transition projects, Steer worked in the Borough of Mid and East Antrim in Northern Ireland to advise on the feasibility of developing a local Zero Carbon Cooperative. Read more here.

To learn more about how Steer Economic Development can help form effective strategies in relation to the circular economy, speak to Dr Victoria Johnson.